Brooder.



F. M. FREEMAN.

BROODER.

APPLICATION FILED AUG.I6. 1915.

1,179,908. Patented Apr. 18, 1916.

2 SHEETSSHEET I- F. MLFREEMAN.

BROODER.

APPLICATION FILED AUG-16. 1915.

Patented Apr. 18, 1916.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2- a m S THE COLUMBIA PLANOORAPH co.. rumba-nos. D. d

UNTFZ @FTS FRANCIS M. FREEMAN, OF DAVIS CITY, IOWA.

BROODEB.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known thatI, FRANCIS M. FREEMAN, a citizen of the United States,residing at Davis City, in the countyof Decatur, State of Iowa, haveinvented a new and useful Brooder; and I do hereby declare the followingto be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such aswill enable others skilled in the art to which it apper tains to makeand use the same.

This invention relates to an improved brooder and coop for chickens andother partment a space is; formed to receive heat through apertures'ofcommumcation, from fowl, and an object of the invention is to provide animproved, simple, efficient and practical device, which may beconstructed reasonably cheap.

Another object of the invention is to provideimproved means forsuspending hovering feathers in the compartments of the brooder.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a heating, chamberunder one of the compartments, there being a cone-shaped deflector overthe heater for deflecting the heat, a portion of which passes through anopening of the deflector and collects between the deflector and thefloor of the compartment above the heating compartment, therebyconfining some of the heat directly in contact with the flooring withsuch intense degree as to maintain the compartment above the heatingcompartment well heated.

Another object of the invention is to provide a brooder with acompartment on the ground floor, under which ground floor comthe heatingcompartment, to heat the ground floor compartment.

in practical fields the details of construction may necessitatealterations, falling within'the scope of what is claimed.

The invention comprises further features and combination of parts, ashereinafter set forth, shown in the drawings and claimed.

In the drawings: Figure 1 is a perspective view of the improved brooderconstruct-- ed in accordancewith the invention. Fig. 2 is a longitudinalsectional view on line 2-2 of Fig.1. Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional viewon line 3-3 of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a horizontal sectional view on line4t4: of Fig. 2.

Specification of Letters Patent.

partment 4:, to heat the same.

Patented Apr. 18, 1916.

Serial No. 45,762.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged detail sectional view of the clamping andsupporting means for the hovering feathers.

Referring to the drawings, 1 designates a housing which may be anyconventional contour or configuration, for example, rectangular inshape, and is provided with a heating compartment 2, a pair of broodingcompartments 3 and 4, and a general compartment 5. The flooring 6 of thecompartment 3 is constructed of sheet metal, as shown, on which a layerof sand or the like 7 is deposited, for scratching purposes. Arranged inthe compartment 3 is a plurality of strips 8, each of which, as shown inFig. 5 consists of two parts 9 and 10, between which the quills 11 ofthe hovering feathers 12 are clamped, the two parts being securedtogether by screws 13. Strips 8 have staples 14:, through which the rods15 extend, which rods in turn are supported upon the strips 16 securedto the inner faces of the side walls of the compartment 3, therebysupporting the strips 8 and the hovering feathers 12. The compartment 4has similarly constructed strips and hovering feathers, therefore samereference characters are used to designate the corresponding parts tothoseof the strips 8. The heating compartment 2 is provided with aconventional form of heater or lamp 19.

Secured at 20 to the flooring 6 is a conical shaped deflector 21 havingits apex portion concentric with the lamp, for deflecting the heatthoroughly about the compartment 2, and in such a manner as to permitpart of it to pass through the apertures 22 into the space 23 below theflooring 24 of the com- Some of the heat from the lamp or heater passesthrough the opening 25 in the apex of the deflector 21, so as to beconfined between the deflector and the sheet metal flooring 6 of thecompartment 3, to maintain the flooring well heated, and to keep thesand dry and warm, so that the chicks may rest thereon. litter can beeasily scraped off the top of the sand, and the same replaced with asmall amount of fresh sand, which is one of the features of sanitationrelative to this improved brooder.

Hinged to one wall of the compartment 3 The partment 3 at a uniformtemperature.

as shown at 28 is a closure 29, to cover an opening 30. This closure hasan arm 31 pivoted to it as at 32, which in turn is pivoted at 33t0 thelever 34 fulcrumed at 35 on a stationary arm 36, wiich projects from oneof the side walls of the compartment 3. The end 37 of the lever 34 isconnected in any suitable manner as shown at 38 to the thermostaticdevice 39, which. expands as a result of the excessive heat in thecompartment 3, thereby tilting the lever 34 in the direction of thearrow at, throws open the closure 29, thereby permitting the excessiveheat to pass out of said opening, thereby automatically keeping the heatin the com- A. screened opening 40 is formed in one of the walls of thecompartment 3, and a second screened opening 41 is formed in one of thewalls of the compartment 5 to permit the foul air to pass off.

A suitable partition 42 divides the upper floor of the housing into thecompartments 3 and 5, there being an opening 43 in said partition. Aclosure 44 is hinged at 45 to the compartment 42, for closing theopening 43. In the drawings the closure 44 is shown as being held open,to permit the chicks or fowls to pass from one compartment to the other.Fabric hovering strips 46 are secured by the metal strips 47 to thepartition 42 above the opening 43; the strips 46 are arranged to hangloosely and substantially over the opening 43. The top 48 of thecompartment 5 is hinged at 49 to the central part 50 of the housing, andis designed to be thrown upwardly as indicated in dotted lines, topermit access to the brooder. The top 48 has a glass plate 51 and ascreening 52, which screening protects the glass, whereas the glasspermits view to be had into the compartments. The closure or top 53 ofthe compartment 3 is hinged at 54, and may be raised and lowered, togain access to the compartment 3. Both of the tops or closures 48 and 53are limited in their opening positions by the links 56 and 57. Theheating compartment 2 has a closure 58 hinged at 59, so as to permitacccess to the compartment. Screened openings 60 and 61 are provided inthe walls of the compartments 2 and 4, to permit excessive heat and foulair to pass off. A closure 62 is hinged at 63 for closing the opening64, there being a suitable shelf 65 at the lower edge of the opening 64.A section 66 of the flooring 67 of the compartment 5 is hinged at 68,and is designed to swing downwardly as shown in dotted lines at 66 incontact with the shelf 65, in which case and when the closure 62 isswung down as in dotted lines at 62, the chicks or fowls may passupwardly into the compartment 5 or compartment 3, by way of the opening43. The section 66 of said flooring may be swung upwardly as shown indotted lines, that is, when the top or closure 48 is opened, to gainaccess to the compartment 4. However, when the closure 62 is thrown downas in dotted lines at 62*, and the section 66 disposed as shown in fulllines in Fig. 2, the chicks or fowls may enter the compartment 4. Thechicks or fowls may also pass through the opening 70, when the closure71 which is hinged at 7 2 is hooked open by the hook 73 engaging the eye74 into the compartment 4. A screened vent opening 7 5 is formed in theend wall of the compartment 5 to allow the foul air to pass off.

The invention having been set forth, what is claimed as new and usefulis:

1. A brooder comprising a housing having compartments therein for thefowls, a heating compartment below one of the compartments which isprovided with a metal flooring, a heater in the heating compartment, aconical deflector on the bottom of the sheet metal flooring and beingconcentric with the top of the heater for deflecting the heat, anotherof said compartments for the fowls having a heat space thereunderprovided with apertures of communication with the heating compartment,the conical deflector having a space between it and the metal flooringand provided with an opening in the apex of the deflector to permit theheat from the heater to pass into said space for confinement therein tothoroughly heat the metal flooring.

2. A brooder comprising a housing having compartments therein for thefowls, a heating compartment below one of the compartments which isprovided with a metal flooring, a heater in the heating compartment, aconical deflector on the bottom of the sheet metal flooring and beingconcentric with the top of the heater for deflecting the heat, saiddeflector having a space between it and the metal flooring and providedwith an opening in its apex to permit a portion of the heat to pass intosaid space for confinement under the metal flooring for heating the sameand keeping sand on its upper surface dry and warm.

3. Hovering means for a brooder comprising a plurality of strips, eachstrip consisting of two parts, hovering strips consisting of feathershaving their quills between the parts, means for fastening the partstogether, each of the strips consisting of the two parts having staples,rods extending through the staples, and means for supporting the rods tosupport the hovering means in the brooder.

4. Hovering means for a brooder comprising a plurality of strips havingstaples upon their upper faces, rods extending through the staples andhaving their extremities extended beyond the ends of the strips,supporting guides upon the opposite faces of a chamber of the brooder,on which the ex- In testimony whereof I have signed my tendedextremities engage, thereby supportname to this specification in thepresence of ing the strips so as to be adjusted closer totwo subscribingwitnesses.

gether or farther apart, and hovering strips FRANCIS M. FREEMAN.consisting of feathers having their quills Witnesses:

secured to the first strips and being suspend- L. A. BROWN,

ed downwardly. W. A. CUMMINGS.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner 01' Patents. Washington, D. O.

